Jon Rahm - Photo: DR

The world number 11 considered the Golf National to be one of the most beautiful courses he has ever played. He crossed irons there in 2009 as an amateur. Already he dreamed of being part of the Ryder Cup team when the course was only a candidate to host the prestigious competition. The Spaniard does not intend to make the appearances this week to score valuable points for qualification in the team of captain Thomas Bjørn.

“I've been thinking about the Ryder Cup for about ten years! Yes, when I played here in 2009 as an amateur, I was 14 or 15 and the course was a candidate. I told myself that I wanted to be there. So to come here this year and have a chance to qualify, it becomes tangible and a dream that could come true. So I hope that my game will follow and that I will be among the teammates of the European team. My first Ryder Cup in Europe in a city like Versailles, so close to Spain, I hope there will be lots of supporters. I can't really describe to you how I feel but it's quite unique. "

Rahm is currently third in the Race to Dubai thanks to a thunderous start to the season. He finished second in his first European Tour tournament, the WGC Mexico Championship, before reaching the final of another World Cup event, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He bowed on the last hole against world number One Dustin Johnson.

With an endowment of 7 million dollars, the HNA Open de France, one of the eight tournaments of the Rolex Series, he hopes to come and tease the current leader, his compatriot Sergio Garcia, winner of the Masters.

Rahm will have a lot to do because the competition will be tough this week on the fairways of the Albatross du Golf National. Indeed, are in contention in Paris, the world number 8, the Swedish Alex Noren, the winners of Majors, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell as well as the tricolor stars Alex Levy and Victor Dubuisson.